Local event to benefit women transitioning to Toledo area

The American School for Women and Children (ASFWC) helped Nina Corder’s sister feel welcome while transitioning to American culture.

“We [fell] in love with the warm hospitality staffs,” Corder, the event coordinator, said in an email.

The ASFWC “helps international women and their children learn English and integrate into the Toledo community,” she said. Their purpose is to make the transition to America smoother.

The Toledo facility is located at 3925 W. Central Ave., inside Washington Church. On May 31, the organization will sponsor the Spring Bazaar and Arts Show Fundraiser. Over 40 vendors, artists, crafters and small businesses (mainly women) will showcase their work, including jewelry, clothing, foods and more.

Corder said she felt motivated by the school’s values and mission.

“It motivates me to help the school in any way I can,” she said. “I hope to create this event as an annual event for ASFWC to help the school continue serving other women like my sister.”

The funds collected at the event will go towards student scholarships.

“Almost all of our girls receive financial help with the cost of their education,” Director Janelle Yeager Metzger said in an email. “Many of our families live near poverty and can only afford to pay [5 percent] of the actual cost so our scholarship fund is always in great need. We give away around $100,000 worth of scholarships every year.”

The event is free and open to the public, but there will be a donation box at the ASFWC resources table. It will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.